Clamp mounting for automatic shapers



July 19, 1932. o, QNSRUD 1,867,869

CLAMP MOUNTING FOR AUTOMATIC SHAPERS Filed Aug. 24. 1931 Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" OSCAR GNSRUD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'OR T0v ONSRUD MACHINE WORKS, .IN C., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORA'IIONl OF ILLINOIS f CLAMP MOUNTING FOR AUTOMATIC SHAPERS Application led August 24, 1931. Serial No,y 559,087. i

This invention relates to improvements in the mounting of pneumatic clamps for use in holding work upon a machine while cutting operations are performed upon the work.

5 The construction is useful in such machines v l i "i the table, and are successively actuat-ed to engage and release the articles supported upon the table. Act-nation of the clamps is generally accomplished bya rotating valve structure centrally located with reference to fi the table, and connected by flexible conduits with the separate clamps. 1

It is necessary, according to the character of the work operated upon, to provide for dierent radial and vertical positions of the clamps with reference to the work table.

Frequently the table carries forms or patterns as well as the work operated upon, and provision is made for either supporting the clamps directly upon the table or upon such 3 forms.

" ly positioning the clamps, both radially and vertically, with reference to the work table, more rapidly than is possible with prior ar rangements.

The object-s of the invention are to provide improvements in clamp mounting for machines Aof the class mentioned, for rapidly effecting radial and vertical'positioning of theclamps, and to nevertheless rigidly support the clamps and resistupward thrust thereof against the downward clamping mov-Y tion` of the clamping elements thereof.

The objects of the invention are accomplished by 'means of a construction illustrated in the drawing, wherein Figure 1 illustrates in side elevation'the f' improved clampmounting means, and a clamp carried thereby.` Duplicated parts are omitted from this view.

Figure 2 is an end view of the .construction shown in Figure l, and is partly in section,

as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The clamp mounting means to which this invention relates is a heavily constructed unit provided with a Supporting casting arranged to be bolted centrally upon the rotating work supporting table. f This castingrsupports a plurality of yvertical yposts-equally spaced from the center thereof and conn ectedat their upper ends by a spider having a central ring for convenience in lifting and placing the ie clamp mounting'unit on the work table.

Each post carries acollar at each end, one v of which is rigid and the other slidably mounted uponV the" post. Carried by these collars is a horizontal extensible linkage ar- Ta ranged to resist upward thrust andf-carrying at its outer end a tube corresponding to the fixed post, and likewise having one fixed collar androne'sliding collar. thereon, to which the linkage is pivotally connected. Vertically adjustable within each tube is a shaft which carries at its lowerend one of the pneumatic clamps. 1f Each clamp is adinstable angularly around its supporting shaft and the latter is prevented from turning within the sleeve.v

The extensible linkageis a lazy-tong construction having clamping bolts at some of its pivots so that it may be rigidly secured against motion in any of its extended positions. This arrangement when carefully made and closely fitted, affords a rigid bridge-like structure Well adapted to resist upward thrust at its outer end.

The construction kas illustrated in the drawing consists of a central supporting casting 1 having bolt holes 2 for attachment to a work supporting table and being hollowed out, as-indicated at 3, to provide space for a rotating valve construction carried by v the work supporting table withinthe ringlike base of casting 1. The upper end or'head 4: of casting 1 is provided with vertical apertures 5 for receiving posts 6. The posts may be rigidly secured in place by bolts 7. These bolts pass through ears 8, adjacent the. saw cuts 9 extending from the apertures 5 to Vthe periphery of the casting.

pivoted thereto at 19, is a link 20, which is pivoted by clamping bolt 21 between a pair of ears 22 on the collar 15. The links 17 and 20 at their opposite ends may be pivotally connected directly or through similar linkage as indicated at 23, 24C in Fig. 1, to a sliding collar 25 and a fixed collar 26 on a hollow post 27. The post 27 is secured to collar 26 by pin 28. The links 23 and 24; are respectively connectedvwith ears on the collars 26 l and 25 by the clamping bolts 29 and 30.

A pneumatic work engaging clamp 31 is secured to the bottom end of a shaft 32 fittedv within the sleeve 27. This shaft is adjustable withiny the sleeve by means of a screw 33 carried at the upper end of collar 25, and having threaded engagement at 311 with the shaft. The lshaft is slotted at 35 ind pin 28 passes through this slot, thus preventing the shaft from turning within the sleeve. The pneumatic clamp is angularly adjust-able around the shaft and is clamped in any desired position by the bolt 36. The elampi31vcomprises a piston chamber 37, within which is mounted a pneumatically operated pist-onl for actuating kthe pivoted jaw element 38 of the clamp. Air under pressure is admitted and released from the piston chamber through a tube 39,v which leads to a control valve, not shown, but mounted on the hollow base 1.

For convenience in locating the clamps with reference to the work operated upon, each clamp carries a vertically slidable pin 40, which mayy drop into a hole provided in a pattern carried by the work supporting table'.

The operation of the clamp supporting structure as described is a mere matter of adjustment. To position clamp 31 radially with reference to the supporting member 1, the bolts 18, 21, 29 and 30 are loosened, and post 27 is moved toward or away from post 19, the linkage between these posts being folded or extended while the collars 15 and 25 slide along the posts, according to the movements of the links toward or away from the horizontal position. The adjustment of clamps 31 vertically is effec-ted by screws 33, which when turned, move the supporting shafts 32 for the clamps, in an axial direction, while the same are prevented from being turned by pin 28. Angular adjustment of the clamps around the a-Xis of the supporting shafts therefor, ispossible when the screw 36 is loosened. l

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be yunderstood that certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claim. j

1 claim:

A clamp supporting structure ofy the class specified, comprising'a rigidlymounted vertical post having one collar fixed thereto and another collar slidable thereon, links pivotally connected together intermediate their ends, each having one end pivoted to one of said collars, means connect-ing the opposite end of one of said links with the vertically extending clamp `supporting post, a clamp on said post, a collar slidable on said post and operatively connected with the end of the other of said links, said second mentioned post being hollow, a shaft fitting within said hollow post, a clamp secured'to said shaft, and means for adjusting said shaft longitudinally within said post.

Signed at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 19th day of August,

OSCAR ONSRUD.

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